Wellington coach tipping Ryder to shine

Jesse Ryder has been labelled fat, disloyal and as having a bad attitude but the man who engineered his dramatic career reversal believes the 23-year-old is ideally suited to international cricket.
NZ ready for England

The shock selection for the Black Caps' Twenty20 and one-day sides makes a much anticipated debut against England tonight with little domestic form to recommend him and criticism from former players ringing in his ears.

But his Wellington coach Anthony Stuart backed Ryder to blaze away and silence his many critics, including former New Zealand wicketkeeper Adam Parore who said he was too fat to play for his country.

Stuart gave Ryder, who had a reputation as a wild child, a dressing down after he told selectors he was unavailable for a New Zealand A tour and, playing as an overseas player for Ireland, famously failed to turn up for a match.

Stuart, who himself played three one-dayers for Australia and took a hat-trick against Pakistan, believed England would tonight target Ryder verbally, but that he was up to the challenge.

"It's a great opportunity for him, it really is and I hope he enjoys himself - they're going to come at him hard," Stuart said.

"If I was involved with England I'd be trying to make life as difficult as possible for him.

"He's got to be prepared for that but I think deep down he's actually quite a level-headed guy and not a lot seems to faze him."

Ryder's ability with the blade is unquestioned and his experimental selection to open with Brendon McCullum could produce fireworks of the highest order.

Stuart pointed to Ryder's 114 from 84 balls in 2006 against an India A team containing current test bowlers RP Singh and Piyush Chawla as an example of his ability to destroy any attack.

"I don't care who it is, it's still a guy bowling a cricket ball to another guy.

"It's a simple game made hard by your thoughts and that's really what it is.

"If you can hold your nerve at the highest level then you'll do well, that's the reality of it."

- © Fairfax NZ News